The Freak
by TwiValkyrie
Summary: A flashback displaying the scene which Edward recalls in Eclipse about the way Alice and Jasper showed up at the Cullens' for the first time. One shot. From Edward's point of view.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the plot-line. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: I have been trying to write the scene which Edward recalls in _Eclipse_ about the way Alice and Jasper showed up at the Cullens' for the first time. Hope you would enjoy it :) Please read and review :)**

**The Freak**

_"Scared the hell out of them too. Emmett and I were hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little freak who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into"_

_**Eclipse,  
**__**Chapter 13, p. 302**_

* * *

We were almost in front of the house now. Emmett was still thinking about that stupid challenge he had lost to me during the hunt. And though he was trying hard not to think about it, he occasionally slipped.

I tried hard too to suppress the smile that threatened to make way to my face every time he did.

I occasionally slipped _too_.

_Trees. Green. Meadows. Sky. Scent._

He tried to fill his head with trivial stuff to distract himself or rather block me out of his mind. Emmett was just a big boy; impossibly innocent and clear.

_Don't smile_, I reminded myself.

_Trees. Running. Edward runs faster! Ha! He thinks he can do everything better than anyone. If he just…Oh! Trees! Sky! Rose._

I tried hard to keep my lips pursed and my eyebrows furrowed as if I'm concentrating on something else while he recollected his thoughts. But then I saw him peeking towards me and I could feel a wide-face grin spreading across my face, betraying me.

_Cheater!_

That was it! I stopped and burst out laughing. Emmett stopped too.

"Ha ha, very funny," he said, no sign of amusement in his voice. "You know what Edward, I wish to see you fight once without turning that brain thingy of yours on. Seriously…"

Emmett was still babbling about cheating and mind reading theories which I heard hundreds of times before, but I could barely hear what he was saying as an unfamiliar scent caught me nose.

It wasn't the scent of the forest or animals or even humans. It was the scent of one of us…one of _our kind_. And not one that I recognized. I tried to listen hard now.

I held out one hand for Emmett to stop. He was about to protest but apparently the anxious look on my face brought him to a halt.

"What Edward?" He asked.

"Someone is here Emmett." I answered almost in a whisper. "It's one of us. We were not paying attention. The scent is allover the place."

Emmett gazed at me in confusion and then understanding flickered across his face as he caught the scent too.

"You're right." He said. "Not someone I know."

"Neither do I." I replied in horror.

"Maybe it's an old friend of Carlisle. Don't get worked up."

He shrugged and started moving forward again with a human pace, while I stood motionless in place. Stunned beyond words.

Emmett turned to me again.

"What now?" he asked impatiently.

"I. Don't. Know. Em…" I said unfocused as I concentrated on the thoughts I was trying to hear. Or rather the thoughts that_ invaded _my mind. That creature, whoever she was, was creeping into my mind uninvited, breaking my defenses and using my own weapon against me. I saw the image of my own face in her head. Of Emmett and I standing outside. I could hear her greet me by my name. It was like a two-way conversation. Like she could see that I could read her mind and answering me back. I was no more in control.

I was momentarily immersed in her thoughts that I couldn't even notice Emmett shaking my shoulders. I looked up at him abruptly. His expression was horrified.

"What is it Edward? Are the others in danger?"

"I don't know Emmett. I don't understand and I don't like it. Let's go"

I didn't wait for him to reply. I rushed towards the house but had to come to an abrupt stop again in front of the garage as I caught a glimpse of something familiar there.

_No_. I wasn't imagining. All my stuff were piled up in the garage. My furniture, my books, my cds. What on earth was going on? What does that mean?

I could see it in Carlisle's thoughts now. Two strangers moving my stuff. I couldn't concentrate on hearing his thoughts though as a roar of laughter interrupted me from behind.

Emmett, _of course._

I turned to face him. He was still laughing so hard. All trace of worry gone!

"Amused?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well…Edward..."he choked out between laughter, "If this is the doing of our new visitor then I think I will like them a lot."

Now my fear turned into anger. Who was invading my mind and my room, and intruding my privacy in such a way. I left Emmett behind, obviously enjoying the _best_ part of his day, and went into the house. I could feel him following right behind me though, growing somber. The laughing mood quickly vanishing.

Walking into the house in that instant was like walking on a dormant volcanic mountain. Everything seems peaceful and calm on the outside yet you know that there is a fire boiling within.

Though Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie sat quite still, statues of stones, their thoughts greeted me so loudly with screams, doubts and even excitement.

Images from their early afternoon flooded my mind giving me so much information that I couldn't take in instantly. Before Emmett could realize or even ask what had happened I was already in shock.

_She's a freak_. Rosalie thought, her mind bringing up the image of a pixie-like tiny female-vampire, appearing in the door way and greeting them all by name as if they were old friends. She and her mate knew all about us and wanted to join our coven. Carlisle didn't mind.

_Carlisle what?!_ I was about to turn to Carlisle and ask him about all of this, but then Esme thoughts pulled me into another direction.

_But it turned out alright._ She thought recalling the image of the same face. _She's just a little more special, like Edward. I've never met anyone who can see the future before…_

See the future? So that might explain…

_She is not one of the Volturi though I suspected that much._ Esme sighed in relief

The Volturi! Yes, that's just what we need now!

I tried to tune them all out and focus on our new visitor's thoughts, to see her claimed talents but the images form Carlisle's mind were the most troublesome. They totally distracted me again. I could see in his head the black-haired female vampire again but this time with her mate. A blonde vampire, nearly my human age, covered with battle scars. He fought in the Southern Wars, Carlisle recalled. He almost sighed. _Jasper will need a lot of training._

_Training?_ If these two creatures were not members of the Volturi as Esme suspected initially, then they would certainly expose us and bring the gaurds on anyway. Besides, Rosalie joining our family was bad enough news. Emmett turned out alright. But the new visitors didn't seem to be promising. I couldn't bear more company.

The thoughts continued, distracting me again…

_She has a good sense of fashion though.  
__Alice seems adorable.  
__Edward won't like what she did to his room…  
__She is creepy.  
__He's a bit scary…even for a vampire…  
__I'll need to discuss this first with Edward._

"What on earth is going on?" I growled putting my hands over my ears reflexively.

"Yes. What happened?" Emmett asked and I realized in that instant that all of what I heard had only taken few seconds or so.

But before anyone could answer or give us a comprehensive look about what took place in our absence, I felt a strange surge of peacefulness flooding around me and through me. If it wasn't for my ability to read minds, I wouldn't have understood what happened.

But of course I _did_. And I tried to_ resist_ too.

We all turned to the staircase. The blonde male-vampire, the one covered in scars whom I had seen in Carlisle's head was descending the stairs. And though Carlisle tried to show me that he wasn't hostile and meant us no harm, I couldn't help but tense. Emmett tensed too. I could even feel him taking a crouching stance beside me.

"Easy" Carlisle said putting a restraining hand on Emmett's shoulder. But it was barley needed as another wave of peacefulness filled the room. If I could feel it then of course the others did too. And even though I could read the vampire's thoughts and knew more than anyone else the trick that he was playing on us, I couldn't help but feel _relaxed_. Relaxed but devastated, devastated because of being overcome by relaxation…by his trick. I glanced at Carlisle. He met my glance and nodded as if he could read my mind too.

_That's Jasper's talent. He can manipulate emotions._

Jasper was now at the stairs bottom. He was moving with exaggerated slowness towards us, his fingers brushing softly against the rail. The scars covering his face and his shiny ruby eyes became even clearer as he approached us. It was hard to ignore them.

"I am Jasper." He said calmly introducing himself. "You must be Emmett and Edward."

"And are we supposed to know who you are?" Emmett asked mockingly.

"No." Jasper shook his head, "I am really sorry about the unexpected way in which we showed up and…"

But before Jasper could finish, Emmett cut in.

"_We?_" he asked in surprise. Emmett was still in the dark about the freaky psychic mate of that Jasper.

"Jasper and his mate, Alice paid us a visit today." Carlisle interrupted, trying to help Jasper out I presumed. "They know all about our way of life and want to join our family."

The images of Jasper and his mate when they first arrived filled Carlisle's head again.

"How did you know about us?" Emmett questioned. "Are you a friend of the Denalis? You don't seem to be." He muttered gazing to Jasper's ruby eyes and scarred skin.

"No." Carlisle interfered again. "Alice and Jasper had very different lives."

"Who created you then? Where did you use to live? And how did you…" Emmett trailed off, not sure whether to continue or not but Jasper knew what he was hinting at.

"I was born in 1843 in Texas. I was a solider fighting in the Civil War when I was changed. I was 20 years of age." He paused for a short moment knowing that the coming part was what we all wanted to know. "I was turned into a vampire by one of the warriors of the Southern Wars. I have lived in the South for a long period of my life and fought many battles there. But then I met Alice, only two years ago. And we knew about you and about your way of life. It gave us hope of a better life…of redemption…We wanted to be like you."

I could see it all in his head now. His years at war, the faded glimpses of his human years and the more gory, the more horrible images of his years at vampire wars. I could see how he met Alice and how she saw us and their resolution to find us. I couldn't doubt his sincerity. Neither could Carlisle or Esme. I could see Esme moving a bit closer to where we stood and placing her hand gently over his shoulder to comfort him. The pain in his voice, the agony, the sense of loss and despair were too obvious. It did not need a mind reader to see that.

Emmett, on the other hand, seemed to be more thrilled by Jasper's history.

"The Southern Wars?" He asked his eyes widening. "Interesting! I was created much later after that. I heard a lot about them but never met anyone who actually fought there! It is nice to have a firsthand account!"

Esme gave him a rebuking look.

Jasper smiled faintly. "It was not so much fun as they claimed it to be. It is just like everything else, becomes boring and redundant with time." He said staring into space, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular. His thoughts went back to the years of war, and I could see it wasn't really just about redundancy and boredom…His eyes then shifted to mine abruptly. "I need to apologize beforehand to you for mate's behaviour." He said, sounding a little embarrassed and suddenly I felt guilty for not making him at ease. "I have tried to stop her, but she won't listen."

So that explains everything too. I could see it in his head and her head now too._ Alice_, Jasper's freaky mate, moving around the house and claiming my room as hers. Her reply whenever someone tried to argue to with her is that _Edward and I are going to be great friends_! How annoying! Would that be?

_Yes, we would._

I turned abruptly towards the stairs; everyone did as Alice descended carrying a pile of books. _My books_. Unlike Jasper, she moved swiftly, elegantly with carefree steps as if she was around life-long friends. Her lips were spread into a wide grin. And her mind was showing me reassuring visions of myself and her, listening to music, riding my car, talking. Visions of the future I presumed. Regardless of whether I believed her or not I _was amazed_.

In less than a second she was by Jasper's side.

"Hi Emmett" she greeted us in a high soprano voice "Edward. I am so pleased I finally got to see you! What took you so long? Wait a sec. I'll be back. Jasper would you mind giving me hand?" she turned to Jasper and gave him half the pile. She moved forward while Jasper gave me another apologetic look and followed her lead. Emmett still thrilled with the new visitors followed them.

When they were gone I turned to Carlisle.

_What do you say Edward?_

"I don't know Carlisle" I murmured, "It won't be easy. At least for him."

_I know but we will try. _He sighed_. How do you like Alice?_

I grimaced. I didn't even decide if I liked her or hated her. If we were going to be great friends as she claimed or great enemies. I thought the latter was more probable.

_You can have your room back if you want. I think she's just being playful._

"She's been trying to show me that will be great friends."

_And what do you think?_ He asked. I couldn't answer for a moment. But to be honest, I didn't hate her despite what she has done to my room…I think I was thrilled by her presence. She seemed to be very interesting. And somehow we shared something in common. Being freaks among those who were already freaks. Worse. I think I _did _like her. Just a little bit. Not enough though to wipe out the annoyance I felt towards her though. She was _definitely_ annoying. It was obvious.

"I guess time will show us." I replied diplomatically not revealing the complex pattern of impressions forming in my head.

Carlisle smiled at my acceptance. I could see how much he liked them and above all how much he wanted to help Jasper. He was already decided.

_The room?_ He asked again. _I don't want you to be mad at Alice. It's not a good start._

"She can have it" I replied. "I think we'll have to move anyway. Before anyone can notice." I was smug, imagining Alice's reaction when she realizes that we would move out after taking all the labour to move my stuff. How come she couldn't see that coming? Maybe her visions were not as perfect as she claimed them to be after all.

_You're right._ Carlisle agreed, and he started thinking about our new destination.

_To Forks again?_ He asked after a moment. And I was glad he didn't think of the Denalis this time. He knew how hard it was for me to be there. I didn't want to hurt Tanya's feelings anymore. Forks seemed a better option. And for a moment I wished I could trade my gift with the freaky psychic…just for once wished to know what fate holds for us this time. But the foggy, uninteresting, and peaceful town of Forks seemed a perfect place now to avoid attention and to train Jasper and Alice, promising more quite days of peacefulness, of comfort, maybe of boredom too among its surreal natural beauty, predictable humans and allied werewolves. Maybe we'll have to renew our treaty with the wolves again…

Was there anymore to expect? After all, what was there left on earth that would surprise or trouble a bunch of monsters doomed to live for eternity.

"To Forks". I agreed. And so was our next destination determined.


End file.
